Project description:Comparison of the endogenous small RNA content of tomato leaves and fruits. Size fractionated small RNA from total RNA extracts was ligated to adapters, purified again and reverse transcribed. After PCR amplification the sample was subjected to 454 high throughput pyrosequencing. Please see www.454.com for details of the sequencing technology. Note: Raw data files were not available from 454 at the time this experiment was carried out.
Project description:Transcriptome Profiling of Tomato Fruit Development Reveals Transcription Factors Associated with Ascorbic Acid, Carotenoid and Flavonoid Biosynthesis
Project description:High levels of ascorbic acid (AsA) in tomato fruits provide health benefits for humans and also play an important role in several aspects of the plant life. Although AsA metabolism has been characterized in detail, the genetic mechanisms controlling AsA accumulation in tomatoes are poorly understood. We used an introgression line (IL 12-4) containing a QTL promoting AsA accumulation in the fruit and carried out a comparative transcriptomic analysis of fruit tissue using a parental cultivar (M82) with low AsA levels as a reference. We identified 253 differentially expressed genes, indicating that AsA accumulation in IL 12-4 reflects a combination of increased metabolic flux and reduced utilization of AsA. Evidences coming from the experiment suggest that AsA accumulation in IL 12-4 fruit is mainly achieved by increasing flux through the L-galactonic acid pathway, which is driven by pectin degradation and may be triggered by ethylene.
